James Potter and the Radiance of Darkness
by dem bones
Summary: After being threatened by the werewolf in his sixth year at Hogwarts, Snape finds the friendship of James Potter. What happens when Lily starts to fancy Snape? SS/LE, SS/JP slash
1. Chapter 1

Title: James Potter and the Radiance of Darkness

Author: dem bones

Genres: Romance/Friendship

Pairings: James/Snape, Lily/Snape

Summary: After being threatened by the werewolf in his sixth year at Hogwarts, Snape finds the friendship of James Potter. What happens when Lily starts to fancy Snape?

Warnings: Love Triangle, may contain HET and SLASH.

A/N: Written for the twelve chapter story challenge by GinnyLunaBFFs.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter 1.

He remembered the menacing snarl of the werewolf, the drool that caked around it's lips.

Snape wasn't quick to trust his own judgement. The voice in his head was telling him to run but the werewolf gazed at him desperate with hunger. It was futile, he would never get away.

It seemed like a convenient revenge for the four of them.

Fear raked his veins. He remembered feeling his legs give out from beneath him as he slowly slid to the ground, his heart beating in terror.

The werewolf drew closer, he ignored it's eyes which shimmered with pain then there was white.

He remembered bracing himself for pain and his inevitable death then a voice telling him to leave. In that brief moment, Snape had forgotten who the voice belonged to. A small part of him knew it was Potter but nothing of their past seemed to matter as if it were veiled in a thick layer of fog.

As Snape mused about his thoughts, Albus Dumbledore appeared into the hospital wing taking a seat beside his bed.

"Sir, did you know Lupin was a werewolf?" Snape uttered in an outburst of horror.

"I was aware. It was one of the reasons why the whomping willow was grown to guard a secret entrance to the Shrieking Shack."

"How can you allow that _creature _to attend Hogwarts?"

"Remus Lupin, is a student at this school and deserves the respect of his peers."

"What about me? I could have died." Snape raged.

"All of them express remorse."

"Lupin and Black were in cohorts trying to kill me and Potter only jumped in at the last minute to avoid his two goons from getting expelling"

"Both have been punished for their injustice and have express the utmost remorse for your predicament but I assure you Mr Snape if you say anything about Mr Lupin's situation your word will be discredited by the Wizengamot."

"Is that a threat, Dumbledore?"

"No, that Mr Snape is a promise." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Mr Potter has saved your life, I suggest that you thank him and put your animosity aside."

Snape turned away with repressed anger before Dumbledore turned towards Madam Pomfrey.

"How long will Mr Snape be in the hospital wing?"

"He should be free to go the next morning. The boy is just a little stunned that's all."

"Alright." Dumbledore said before leaving Snape's company.

HP

Later in the evening, Snape heard a crash from nearby.

He looked up and couldn't see anyone.

Suddenly part of an abdomen became unconceiled as someone began to remove an invisibility cloak.

"Potter!"

"Hi to you too, Snape. So how've you been doing?"

"Quite well without your presence there to taint it."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't forgive you. I'll never forgive you."

"I know but it doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter. DOESN'T MATTER. I almost died Potter and the lot of you only get a slap on the wrist. You all should be expelled."

"You're right." James said with a pensive smile looking down at his shoes. "I don't think it's right at all. We all should have been punished for this unjustice. What can I ever do to earn your forgiveness?"

Snape flushed. "You're acting strange. Just leave me alone."

James chuckled.

"Sorry about that. Guess I'll see you later, Snape." James said as he left the room.

"Thanks." Snape uttered quietly.

The words which would have seen mindless from anyone else seemed to hold significance to James. It wasn't a thank you showing appreciation for Potter rescuing him, and it wasn't a thank you for him dropping by the hospital wing to visit him. As far as Snape knew he could have been dropping by the hospital wing because the headmaster had told him.

Only James knew that the thank you had been directed at him because for that brief second they had connected over the unfairness of their animosity of each other.

HP

On his way back to the common room, James ran into an enraged Lily.

"What did you do?"

"Padfoot took a prank, a little too far."

"How can you be so non-chalant about it?" Lily asked.

James was speechless. She'd never know how guilty he had truly felt because he was unable to utter it.

Lily scoffed.

"You're nothing more than a bully."

After Snape had left the hospital wing the next morning, James took a seat next to him in Double Potions. It used to be a common thing for Lily to sit next to Snape during potions class before Rosier eased his way into that position.

At one point when he and Lily had been talking it had been impossible to get her to have a descent conversation about Snape. When she did talk to him it was always about his obsession with the dark arts.

"He's a terrible person." She said. "Have you seen the people he's acquainted with."

Overtime James had learned that people who used the dark arts weren't necessarily bad people. He was raised in a pureblood family where the line of Potters had remained untarnished due to their beliefs in blood purity.

The Dark arts, was magic used among pureblood families to prevent their line from being tainted. Over a period of years, the Ministry had got hold of the magic and had banned it because they felt it had threatened the entire muggle population.

His cousin had written to him upon attended Durmstrang about the dark magic that he'd learned. The Ministry had a habit on using it as means of torture in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The aurors were often hired from prisoners who were sent to Azkaban and thus their hearts were always tainted with ill intent so the magic would addle their brains and make them insane.

At one point, he and his friends had visited the Hog's head to talk with Aberforth. He would often tell them how Dumbledore did alot more forbidden things with light magic then most wizards would do with dark magic so it seemed kind of ridiculous for Lily to say that about Snape.

Sure Snape was a bully but it didn't make him any worse than James himself.

"Any reason as to why you're sitting by me, Potter?"

"I wanted to know if you had any plans for the summer."

Snape regarded him suspiciously. "And if I don't?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to the beach with us during the summer, we're going swimming and we'd love for you to come. You see I've always been under the impression that your parents aren't that pleasant to you."

Snape narrowed his eyes.

"It just seems to me that it would be kind of bored staying with people who don't care for you all that much."

"Thanks for being so understanding, Potter but no thanks." Snape sneered.

"Aw, there's no need to be so sour about it."

"What do you want, Potter?"

"Come with us, please."

"Not interested."

"You don't fancy going for a swim?"

"Mr Potter is there a problem?" Professor Slughorn asked putting the boys into the spotlight.

"Sir, I asked Snape for some help with my potion but alas he doesn't seem that interested." James explained.

"Do you have trouble with potions, Mr Potter? I see you didn't raise your hand to address your concerns so I could only assume you were asking Mr Snape for help to tutor you on potions."

"Yes, Sir."

"Mr Snape you must reconsider. Surely you have nothing to do for the summer, I'm sure Mr Potter wouldn't mind holding a tutoring session at his home." Slughorn pleaded. "Mr Potter's potential simply cannot go to waste."

"Old fart." Snape muttered.

"Now you have to come to my house over the summer to tutor me." James grinned.

HP


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

Two weeks before the summer, Professor Slughorn had sent a request to Snape's parents asking to allow their son to stay at the Potters to help tutor their son in potions.

Snape had recieved a response from his mother a week later in the Great Hall at the Slytherin table.

"So I heard you're tutoring Potter over the summer." Evan said with cockiness as he took a seat on the right of Severus.

"Complex as it is, he apparently finds trouble with potions."

"He is going out with a reclaimed potioneer. Evans is one of Slughorn's best students."

"Not what I heard." Sinistra said taking a seat on the other side of Evan. "Heard Evans broke up with Potter. I think she was saying something along the lines of him taking a joke too far."

Snape smiled a bittersweet smile. It was just like Lily to do something like that.

Before he knew it, summer had arrived and he followed Potter and Black upon the Hogwarts Express.

Deciding not to press his luck he remained quiet gazing steadily out the window.

"What do you reckon is wrong with him?" Sirius asked menacingly quiet tapping his friend on the shoulder.

James shrugged and with nothing better to do gazed out the window. Snape must have been happy, his wish had come true he had lost Lily all because she had thought he had been busy bullying the poor kid. He wondered what would have happened if she knew that he was actually visiting her best friend and if visiting Snape had been worth the price of losing her love.

"And just where do you think you're going?" James asked when Snape was about to leave the train station.

"You live in London do you not?"

"We're not going to London."

Another train dropped by.

"We're taking the train to Paris. So we can take the train to go to Barcelona."

Snape followed mindlessly and exhausted during the two hour train ride fell asleep.

"Snape, Snape wake up." James said shaking him. "We're here."

Snape rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"We've arrived in Paris."

Snape turned eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Where are we going?" He asked. "I know that isn't where your father lives."

"Stalking me now are we Snape?" James teased.

"I don't have to. News flies around when your only friends are purebloods."

"Hear that Padfoot, we're already famous amongst the purebloods." James replied amused elbowing Sirius on the shoulder.

Snape saw that he looked rather amused.

"You may not know this Snape but James lives in more than one manor." Sirius boasted proudly.

"My father owns a place in London and all but we have a home for every part of the season. During the summer my parents are renting a villa near Mar Bella beach in Barcelona."

"Isn't that place a nudist beach?"

James looked at Sirius incredulously.

"How do YOU know that but have to ask me advice when you went on your date with Marlene?"

"Knowing the location of a nudist beach is not the same as dating women." Sirius retorted.

Snape snorted.

Then the three boarded the train to Barcelona. James sat next to Snape this time who eventually took a nap with his head resting on his shoulder.

Sirius laughed.

"What's so funny, Sirius?"

"When the two of you don't fight, you look quite cute together."

James flushed.

Eventually at the late hours of night, a woman came by with a cart of food.

"Hey Snape, Snape." James said shaking the boy resting on his shoulder. "Are you hungry?"

Snape awoke narrowing his eyes at the cart of food.

"Do you want to order something?"

"You can order anything on my cart." Sirius uttered seductively. The gesture caused Snape to flush in embarrassment.

Quickly he stocked up on Chocolate Frogs and Cockroach Clusters.

"We'll have four ham and cheese sandwiches." James said.

Flustered by Sirius' actions, she quickly left their compartment.

"Do you flirt with every woman that walks by?" James asked incredulously choking with laughter.

"That's not it at all and you know it. I've always had a preference to date older women."

"Well, don't let me stop you."

"Will your parents meet us at the train station?" Snape asked.

"Yes, he made a portkey and everything. Father is always prepared." James replied.

"Oh."

The woman pulling the cart dropped by and the three boys swiped their sandwiches.

"Do you have an owl? Can we talk?" Sirius inquired to the woman, voice laced with seduction.

"My name is Elena. Elena Moore."

"I'm Sirius. This is my best buddy, James and that's Snape over there."

"Aren't you all little young to be riding a train all by yourselves."

"My father is going to meet us at the train station." James protested.

"I'm not that young." Sirius protested and the woman giggled at his retorts.

"See you Mr Black."

Once the train had landed in Barcelona, the trio met up with James' father.

"Is this Eileen's son?" The man asked looking over Snape.

"Yeah." James said. "Father, this is Severus Snape."

The man held out his hand to the disheveled boy.

"Henry Potter, pleased to meet your acquaintance."

Snape returned the handshake with equal enthusiasm.

"James, tell your friend to hold on tight." Henry said as he took out a portkey in the shape of a frisbee.

"Summer." He murmured, then the portkey activated and the sensation of their body being transported to somewhere else increased with intensity.

"We're here." Henry said greeting his wife which was the old woman who stood by the door to their Villa.

"Henry, welcome home. Is James with you?" She asked.

"They all arrived in one piece honey."

"Severus, this is my wife Diana."

"Pleased to meet you." Snape replied non-chalantly.

James smiled at Snape's antics before leading him to his room in the villa.

"If you need anything feel free to ask." He told Snape before he left him in his bedroom.

HP

After the day following the next morning, Snape found himself dragged along the beach by his nemesis.

"Relax Snape, you know you can't stay cooped up in the house all day."

Really he had wanted to avoid swimming. It wasn't because he didn't know how to swim because his mother had taught him that much. The kids often thought it fun to attempt to dunk him in the water. Either to drown him or make him suffer, Snape didn't know but it was something he didn't want to think about.

"Hey Lily!"

Snape looked up at the chipper tone in Potter's voice. Lily and Petunia were at the beach with their parents.

Lily looked up and paled with disgust.

"What are you two doing here?" Lily asked. "I hope you didn't bring Snape here to condone in your sadistic games."

Snape looked at James. He looked so sad almost like lost puppy.

'Why am I almost feeling sorry for that git?' Snape thought shaking his thoughts away from the pity he was beginning to feel.

"Lily, I told you my father always rents a villa in Barcelona during the summertime. Sirius lives with us so I had to bring him along."

"Is that so?" Lily inquired. "Because I seen Remus and Peter drop by earlier. They said your father invited them."

"I had no idea." James said. "The only reason Snape is here is to help tutor me with potions."

"Is that true, Snape." Lily asked coldly.

"That is true, Evans." Snape replied, face cold and depicting no emotion.

"Are you sure Potter didn't blackmail you into this?"

Snape's eyes flickered, "I don't see why that would be any business of yours."

"What other choice would he have Evans? He sure isn't going to stay with his parents if the only thing they do is neglect his very well being." James said.

"I didn't know you cared."

"I told you before I don't joke about stuff like this and I don't care if it's Snape. I would never want him to die." James explained.

Snape was pondering whether or not to tell Lily what had really happened. If Lily had assumed that James' intentions were malicious maybe she might eventually see him in a great light but if he came clean there would be a chance that Lily might not ever return his feelings.

For some reason saying nothing wavered on his conscience. Perhaps it was because James hadn't wanted to die. Whether or not it was genuine, it didn't sound like he was extorting him in order to get Lily back as if he didn't want to be judged harshly for his actions.

"It wasn't Potter who lead me to the Shrieking Shack." Snape explained. "If anything he was the one who rescued me."

"Ah Snape, you're too kind." James said teasingly wrapping Snape in a brotherly embrace.

"Get off me, Potter."

"Sometimes you are just too cute."

Lily giggled at the bright red blush on his face.

"Feeling sentimental?" Remus asked before Snape managed to pull James away from him.

"Where's Peter?" James asked.

"Oh, Peter's right behind me." Remus said.

The four turned to see Peter wading with Petunia along the shore.

"Wormtail seems to be getting a little comfortable with your sister." James said to Lily.

"It's alright. He's alot better than the Dursley's boy who often bullied the neighbor's kids."

Snape set out a towel on the sand and relaxed basking in the sunlight while James, Lily, Peter, Petunia and Remus began to play with the beach ball across the shore.

James wore swimtrunks with pink and yellow stripes that contrasted with his tan, bronze chest while Lily was in a pink bikini. The two were close enough to almost touch.

They all looked like they were having such a good time.

JPSS

While playing their game, Lily would occasionally glance at Snape at the corner of her eye. James had told her at some point that Snape had harbored amorous feelings for her. She had never wanted to believe it but when James had told her what had happened. Snape looked like he was fighting with himself, wanting to keep something from her as if that would ruin his chances of winning her over.

It was surprisingly sweet for someone who was eager to practice magic of such dark intent. He looked surprisingly innocent, almost peaceful with how his eyes closed as if basking in the sunlight.

It must have taken alot of courage for Snape to come clean even if it meant losing her love forever.

Lily who wasn't paying any attention to where she was stepping so wrapped up with staring at Snape tripped over a receding wave straight in James' arms.

Snape narrowed his eyes at the sight of them together.

Who did he think he was fooling, Lily would never look at him that way.

"Let's go inside," Peter asked as it was getting late.

"I want to stay on the beach a little while longer." Petunia said with a shy smile.

"Alright."

Sirius met with them outside the villa with the woman on the train from a couple of days ago.

"Sirius, where have you been?"

"Well, I was just about to join you on the Beach when I saw her. Elena is renting a villa in Barcelona as well so we talked for most of the day."

James smiled cheekily.

"James can I show her the song we wrote?" Sirius asked.

James left to get his guitar and everyone took a seat in a circle around Sirius and Elena.

Snape took a seat between Sirius and Lily who was sitting by her sister. Lily blushed as her arms brushed against Snape's shoulder.

James appeared with the guitar before taking a seat next to Severus. Sirius began to strum it with his fingers and sang their song.

Snape found himself confused with it all. James Potter was willingly sitting beside his nemesis as if they had been friends since they had first met. With it came the warmth and comfort he had once had around Lily Evans.

Then Lily was arm was brushing against his shoulder causing chills to creep of his spine.

Just as suddenly Snape could see Lily's parents run into the room.

"Lily, have you seen your sister?"

"She still out there?" Lily asked. "I thought she came inside."

"No, she told me she didn't want to go inside yet."

"James, you got to help me find my sister." She pleaded with him.

Snape gritted his teeth with jealousy.

"I'll help too."

Lily had nearly forgot that Snape was here as well.

"Well, I could use all the help we can get. Let's split up and look all over the beach. Remus and Sirius you two stay here with Elena just in case Petunia stops by. Severus, you and James scout the southern part of the beach. I'll go with Peter and check the left part of the beach."

As they made their way to the beach, Lily sighed.

"It's no use, we'll never find Petunia unless we split up." Lily said. "I know it's dangerous but we'll cover more ground this way. You go to the left and I'll go to the right."

Lily walked along the beach and wrapped up in finding her sister she soon discovered she was lost and that it was dark out.

A loud grunt cut her from her musings and she spotted a tall man with long blonde hair and light blue eyes with a shaggy beard.

"Who are you?"

"You can call me Rodney." He said. "Would you happen to be lost little girl?"

"Little?" Lily inquired bravely. "I'll have you know I'm sixteen years old. Old enough to get married in the UK."

"I have know doubts. You remind me of my wife. I believe you've seen her on the train here to Barcelona if you are as magical as I think you are."

Lily was speechless. "Do you know where I am?"

JPSS

While searching the southern part of the beach, James and Snape were interrupted in the middle of their search by Peter who had wrapped a wet Petunia with his coat.

"Tuney, fancy a swim?" Snape teased.

"Shut up, Snape." Petunia replied.

"If you can say something so insulting back I guess you're okay."

"Is my sister still searching for me."

"Lily!" Snape said clearly startled.

"Snape!"

"We have to look for her."

"I'm sure Lily will find her way back. She's a strong girl."

"It's a very large beach and easy to get lost." Petunia said making Snape pale further and inching from James' grasp ran to the other side of the beach.

Minutes later, Snape appeared frail walking dejectedly as Rodney had carried Lily in his arms. She was unconscious though James could see at some point she must have tripped as there was a bloody scrape on her knee.

Together the six went to the Villa.

"Lily." Her mother gasped.

"Do you have a bed or sofa where she can lie down?"

Henry transfigured a table into a sofa in the living room and Rodney placed Lily gently on to the sofa.

"Elena, there you are. I was looking for you earlier must have got lost along the way."

"Elena? Who?" Sirius asked.

"I figured as much." Remus said. "You're her husband aren't you?"

"Why? Any of you thinking of hitting on my wife." he asked.

Sirius squeaked. "I didn't mean to, I didn't know she was married."

Rodney's expression softened. "Now don't get your knickers in a twist, you didn't know right? Lesson learned. Now if you did it despite the fact we were married I would have killed you right on the spot."

Remus laughed.

"I am serious by the way."

Remus' laughter faded.

"Tell you what, make it up to you. How about you all attend my daughter's birthday party and we'll call it even?"

"Is that alright with you, father?" James asked Henry whose eyebrows contorted in deep concentration. "Alright."

That evening when everyone had been asleep, Snape had awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of a piano playing.

"I had no idea you played the piano, Potter."

"I guess their isn't a lot of things that you know about me then do you, Snape?"

Diana was spying on the two boys nearby and spotted Henry walk outside to look at the sunset.

"Do you remember where we first met?" He asked as she joined him.

"Your father owned a home near the beach. After our marriage you said it was the first place that you'd take me to see because it had a wonderful view of the morning sunset." She said embracing him.

"I love you."

"I know."


End file.
